3-15-25
Windsor Park. Weeds bush hogged couple months ago. Overcast, 50 degrees, 5mph, 80% humidity.
Seren did two 1-turn tracks, #1 turned to right, #2 to left. Scuffed out of turns & start. 1st leg 50 yd with food drop in middle, second leg 25 yd with food jackpot 15 steps after turn for both. Aged 2 hr 20 min.
On both tracks, Seren acknowledged turn with head bob in the correct direction but did not stop until 12 steps after the turn (I went with her with line at ~10 feet). At this point she just stopped with head up. After a few seconds I backed up 2 steps while playing out a little line. Then she began to cast, but only to the direction of the turn. I backed up a couple more steps & she hit the second leg & took it to the jackpot as I let more line out, then on to the article.
Got some interesting information from this exercise - we’ll see if this pattern persists
Dylan did a 3 turn track aged 45 minutes with similar environmental conditions. Scuffed start & out of turns. Food every 25yd.
This was not our best session. Articles were OK, but Dylan seemed to not like walking on this kind of cover. He was not as dedicated to the track as he has been up to now, finding lots of excuses to check smells (deer poop) off the track. Good news is he came back quickly & found the track, as he was on a short (5’) line.
Next session I’ll try keeping age the same, but increasing food frequency.
I love what you did with Seren. I’m not sure why you let the line run while backing up—it could well have been the correct decision, since I didn’t see it I can’t say. But I loved that you followed and let her tell you when she ran out of scent. Transferring that responsibility to her is key. Good job!
ReplyDeleteSince she was standing still, I let line slide thru my hands as I backed up so as to not pull her back. also to give her a little more room to cast for leg 2. Could have alternatively called her back to me & backed as she came toward me, but that would have made it harder to keep even tension on line. But maybe that would have been the better choice?
Delete,
Probably a good call, just think about taking line in when she comes towards you—she doesn’t need more line to find that new leg, and you want to have line to give so she can make the decision.
DeleteThat's a really good point...you want to have line to give - that really paints a picture!
Delete